>Our position is that we hope that when varroa arrives it does not carry DWV. 


Other parts of the world were not so fortunate. There is good reason to believe that varroa vectored DWV and ABPV when they began infesting the Kenyan bee population post-2009. 


>Kenyan bee populations also displayed infections with DWV, BQCV, and ABPV, and Varroa numbers are strongly positively correlated with viral diversity (number of viruses present)..... Thus, Varroa may have introduced these three viruses to the Kenyan honey bee populations, or is altering the population structure of these viruses.

>Interestingly, a 2010 study of honey bee colonies in Uganda (which borders western Kenya and was thought to be Varroa-free at the time of the study) found BQCV in 30–40% of the colonies, but DWV and ABPV were not detected [61], suggesting that these two viruses may have been recently introduced to Kenya, perhaps by Varroa. 

Evaluation of the Distribution and Impacts of Parasites, Pathogens, and Pesticides on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Populations in East Africa
Elliud Muli et al.  - PLOS 


Bill Hesbach

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